OTTAWA – Reports are swirling that Ottawa has expelled four Russian embassy staff in connection with a Canadian naval officer accused of passing secrets to a foreign power.
Earlier this week, Sub-Lt. Jeffrey Delisle was charged with communicating information to a “foreign entity” and is now in custody in Halifax.
In the wake of the scandal, media reports allege that the names Russian diplomats – including a defence attache and two technical staff – have been dropped from the Department of Foreign Affairs’ official list of diplomatic, consular and foreign government representatives. Neither governments will confirm the allegations.
Canada has a colourful past when it comes to spies, state secrets and scandal. Global News looks back at some of the most notorious events in recent history.
Sub-Lt. Jeffrey Delisle: In January 2012, the naval officer was charged with communicating information to a “foreign entity” under Canada’s Security of Information Act, in the first case of its kind. He is now in custody in Halifax. Delisle, 40, spent almost his entire career in intelligence and, at one time, worked in the military’s nerve-centre at National Defence Headquarters. Court documents say one of the alleged offences happened between July 6, 2007, and Jan. 13, 2012, while the other is alleged to have happened between Jan. 10, 2012, and Jan. 13, 2012.
Get breaking National news
Computer hackers hit the federal government: Computer hackers using an IP address from China hit three federal government departments and accessed classified information. Ottawa responded by cutting off Internet access to the affected departments.
Christopher Metsos: The Canadian government revoked the passport of a Russian agent believed to be most capable, after he was arrested in Cyprus, carrying Canadian-issued travel documents. Metsos disappeared soon after he was detained.
Russian spy ring in U.S. uses Canadian documents: Memos from the federal government released in 2011 show Russian agents have been using Canadian passports to establish a spy ring in the United States. In 2010, 11 people – four of whom claimed to be Canadian – were indicted on charges of conspiring to act as secret agents in the United States on behalf of the SVR, the Russian Federation’s successor to the notorious KGB. The memos also detail two other incidents – in 1996 and 2006 – in which suspected SVR agents were arrested under national security certificates and deported to Russia.
CSIS boss Richard Fadden: In June 2010, the head of Canada’s intelligence agency Richard Fadden warned foreign governments were attempting to influence Canadian politicians, suggesting countries such as China had infiltrated Canadian politics at many levels, including municipalities in B.C. The remarks were met by denial from the Conservative government and sarcasm from municipal politicians in B.C.
Conservative MP Bob Dechert and Shi Rong, a journalist for China’s state news agency: A series of flirtatious emails between Dechert and Shi from 2010 were released publicly, igniting a firestorm of speculation the relationship could have breached state secrecy. Dechert is parliamentary secretary to Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird. The emails suggest a cozy relationship with Dechert calling Shi a beautiful person and telling her to watch the House of Commons vote on television: “I will smile at you. I miss you. Love, Bob,” he promised in one of the emails.
Mossad agents forge Canadian passports: The same memos revealed a 1997 case of two Israeli Mossad agents using forged Canadian document in an assassination attempt.
Paul William Hampel: Accused Russian spy Paul William Hampel was deported using a national security certificate in 2006, after he was arrested at Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport. The foreign national was accused of espionage and had lived in Canada for several years.
Dmitriy Vladimirovoch Olshevskiy and Yelena Borisovna Olshevskaya: These two Russian spies were discovered in 1996. They were posing as a married Toronto couple and went by the names of Ian Mackenzie Lambert and Laurie Brodie.
Gerda Munsinger and Pierre Sevigny: A Soviet spy, Gerda Munsingr, was romantically involved with a number of officials in the John Diefenbaker government, including Pierre Sevigny, then the association minister of national defence. She was deported in 1961 and the scandal was kept under wraps until 1966 when a Liberal MP raised it in the House of Commons.
With files from The Canadian Press and Postmedia News
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.